May is maternal health awareness month in the U.S., and one organization in Johnston County is working to raise awareness for some marginalized communities.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS), North Carolina ranks as the 10th-highest state for infant mortality deaths. However, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] data found that certain communities were impacted by this more than others.
A 2023 report from the NCDHHS found that Black and American Indian children have a higher mortality rate than any other ethnic group.
“When we think about the implicit bias that’s out there, that people are treated differently based on what they look like, these things have been happening for a very long time,” said Jacqueline McMillan Bohler, associate dean at Duke University School of Nursing.
That same study found that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Health experts are calling for change.
The Johnston County alumni chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, hosted a discussion sharing this information and resources about Black maternal health as part of a weeklong event “fueling minds and uplifting the community.”
“We do our best to try to spread awareness in our community on this subject,” said chapter President Tedra Fair.
During the discussion, panelists McMillan Bohler and Stephane DeVane-Johnson, an associate professor at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, shared additional data from the CDC, including a recent study that found hundreds of people die in childbirth each year. The study also found that over 80% of those deaths could have been prevented.
“These numbers aren’t new,” DeVane-Johnson said.
WRAL News asked how these numbers come about, and experts at the event said part of it comes from the education system.
“Historically, the Black woman’s body was used as an experiment,” said birth doula Jakisha Elliot.
In fact, in the WRAL documentary “Critical Term: Why are Black mothers and babies dying?” reports found that modern health textbooks were teaching students “racist stereotypes in teachings.”
“They’ve been fed through the education system, through really the world and everything that’s in it,” McMillan Bohler said. “So, what we’re doing is really educating people to the fact that there are implicit biases that happen, so we can mitigate them.”
WRAL News asked how Black women can best protect and prepare themselves ahead of giving birth. Both McMillan Bohler and DeVane-Johnson advised researching your health care provider beforehand and know there are resources available to them.
Both McMillan Bohler and DeVane-Johnson shared resources for families interested in birthing doulas and midwives, they also advised women not to be afraid to advocate for themselves.
“The only way positive change is going to happen in the area of maternal mortality is that we have communities that really understand the issue and are willing to speak out to advocate for themselves and advocate for the birthing people in their communities,” McMillan Johnson said.
Experts also said more representation is needed in the health care industry, along with training on working with different cultures.
“More Black nurses, more Black nurse midwives, more Black nurse practitioners, more Black physicians, more Black pediatricians, more Black doulas, more Black lactation consultants,” DeVane-Johnson said. “We need all aspects of healthcare and representation so that we can go out and serve a population that looks like us.”
Elliot also advised all people to reach out to their local legislators.
“Legislation plays a huge role in maternal healthcare,” Elliot said. “Some states and some health insurances are running pilot programs where doula services and midwifery services are covered, but not all states do that.”
She said talking to their elected officials could make a huge difference. But above all, they advised being hopeful for the future.
“We realize we have the statistics now, and my prayer and everything is that in 10 to 15 years from now, we see a decrease in the number of Black mamas and Black babies that are dying,” DeVane-Johnson said.
